Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

For the first ten years of my career I had the opportunity to develop my digital skillsets in the secular world with the hope that someday these skills could be used to serve God more directly. I am pleased to say that there is a tide-shift happening now in the Seventh-day Adventist Church at multiple levels; we are collectively waking up to the untapped potential of the digital mission field.

There is potential for a beautiful marriage between traditional means of evangelism and digital communications. These new technologies are not meant to entirely replace the old methods, but serve to magnify and increase the scale of our efforts in a way that was not thought possible a few decades ago.

I spend a lot of time with seasoned evangelists who share wisdom from their experiences in the physical mission field. Many of their proven principles for effective evangelism have direct application in the digital space. To truly move forward with our mission, mentorship and education must go in two directions. Not only can the younger generations teach the older generation about technology and demonstrate how it can be used to advance our cause, but the younger, digitally-focused generations can learn much from the giants of traditional evangelism. Instead of getting frustrated by our different perspectives, we must communicate more effectively with each other to understand our common ground. Like a giant ship set in its regular route, it takes time to turn, and it takes all crew members working together.

The methods by which we minister to people and share the gospel are becoming more complex, but human nature, needs, and behavior largely stays the same and is predictable. One “analog” idea that can be translated to the digital space is the idea of “curb appeal.” Long before the internet and 360° video, real-estate agents focused their attention on finding ways to optimize something called “curb appeal” (aka the outward appearance of a property). If someone was interested in buying a house, they most likely would drive by it before calling the agent to request a walk-through. For churches, the behavior of prospective visitors was similar. Pastors and ministry leaders sought to make the outside of their church inviting for potential visitors. This is still important today, but now we have the added need for “digital curb appeal.”

76% of mobile shoppers have changed their mind about which retailer or brand to buy from after searching on Google (Google Data).

Nearly half (46%) of people say a website’s design is their number one criterion for determining the credibility of an organization (Hubspot).

46% of church attendees said that a church’s website was important in picking a church to visit (Network.crcna.org).

33% of people said that the internet was initially where they learned about their church (Network.crcna.org).

In 2015, Facebook influenced 52% of consumers’ online and offline purchases, up from 36% in 2014 (The Drum).

It’s clear that an organization’s digital presence affects behavior. What do people find when they Google your ministry or find you on social media platforms? Is the content up-to-date? Is new visitor information easy to find? Are there pictures, testimonies, and stories that reflect your church community and appear inviting to others? Is it clear what services and opportunities your church, ministry, or organization provides?

According to a LifeWay Research survey, “78% of churches have a website, [but] only 30-40% of churches are using their websites for anything other than an electronic bulletin board! And about 42% hardly keep their websites up to date?!” (Churchleaders.com) The same is true with social media. Are you posting regularly and is all the essential information current? For many, your digital presence will be their first introduction to your ministry and possibly, the faith as a whole. Many people will find your website long before they physically visit a place of worship. A study by Grey Matter Research found that, in the span of one year, “over 17 million American adults who don’t regular attend worship services visited the website of a local church or place of worship.”

Your ministry’s website and social media are your biggest digital marketing and branding tools, and it’s where first impressions are made. If your congregation members engage with the corporate Church accounts on social media, it’s likely others are seeing their interactions and could be discouraged OR encouraged to visit your local church based on the kind of content posted. Tell your local story through your website and social media. Reveal a community that others want to join. Your website is a means of communicating, in general terms, everything that your church or ministry offers to a prospective visitor. It's your "curb appeal." Your social media can further demonstrate the type of community they will experience and what sort of spiritual messages they will receive.

Importance of Mobile

When people search for local businesses using a smartphone, 76% of them visit a related location within one day (Think with Google). As of August 2019, BrightEdge reported 62% of a large sample group conducted their search queries on mobile devices, including tablets, as opposed to computers.

Making your website mobile friendly is more vital than ever, especially since Google prioritizes mobile-friendly content in the search algorithm.

I recommend that you regularly conduct an audit of your website and social media to make sure:​

Your website design is up to date and mobile-friendly. You don’t need technical skills or a lot of money to have a professional, high-quality website. Aim for a simplistic look that shows an organized and logical layout. An advantage of drag-and-drop platforms like Wordpress or Wix.com is that they offer ongoing software and design updates as well as easy-to-edit responsive (mobile-friendly) templates—all for an annual hosting fee as low as $100. If you have a staff member with more technical expertise and want to be NAD branding compliant, the website branding pattern system ALPS is set up to be installed in a WordPress site. Click here for more info.

Make sure essential information is accurate, up to date, and easy to find. Remember, empathy first. Put yourself in a prospective visitor’s place and seek to understand their needs and/or experience. Location, directions, and worship times should be visible on your homepage. Have a “Plan Your Visit” section with “What to Expect” FAQs. Not knowing what to expect is a barrier to entry for many people. This information can be included on both your website and Facebook. Links to this information can be listed on other social media platforms.

Tell your story in the “About” section and share what you believe. Do your images on the website and social media reflect your congregation and culture? Do your listed core values and beliefs match what they will experience in person? To really connect with people, we must relate to their core values and needs. Write in a conversational and friendly tone to make your audience feel informed and valued. Make sure you communicate clearly to prospective visitors, and most importantly, reflect the love of Christ always. Much of this content can be “evergreen” with little need for regular updates.

Showcase opportunities. Are all your upcoming events, ministry projects, and youth activities listed? If you don’t have the staffing for regular updates, present your opportunities in general terms and ask them to join your email list and/or like your Facebook page for event notices. Generally, church members do not check their own website, so shape your content around the needs of a visitor. Again, if you don’t have the resources for weekly website updates, present material that is “evergreen,” contact information on how a potential visitor can learn more. Once they step in the door, be sure to have a welcoming strategy (case study example: Dan Serns, Evangelism Coordinator, Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists) to help them build relationships and get plugged into church life.

Strong brands create connection and take a comprehensive approach to the member experience. Today, that experience often begins online. Your digital presence should make them want to experience your faith/mission in person, motivating them towards action.

Amy Prindle

Before going full throttle on SEO implementation, it’s important to set expectations and develop a clear understanding of what is needed. To be successful, you must approach SEO strategically and be very intentional about developing a long-term plan to maintain best practices.

The first step in SEO care is to keep up to date on the industry. Things change fast—both in the ways people search for and consume content, and in how Google continually seeks to improve its process based on people’s changing behavior. What worked yesterday may not work next month. ​What’s more, businesses tried to cheat the system and developed many SEO techniques now considered “black hat.” These practices are now heavily frowned upon and will get your site penalized by Google, causing your ranking to plummet which can be challenging and expensive to recover from. Unfortunately, these “black hat” techniques still circulate online, and are often advertised as tips and strategies. It’s important to know what these techniques are to avoid being misled.

​To safeguard your SEO efforts for your organization, we’ve compiled the top 9 SEO myths that persist today, and what you should do instead.

​Myth #1: “Get a sweet SEO setup, then relax and enjoy great traffic and engagement.” SEO work is never done. Just as a business requires ongoing management in order to adapt to market changes, to implement customer feedback, or to update technologies to stay competitive, SEO is an continually evolving process. While setting up a strong SEO foundation is essential, know that investing a lot of time and/or money in this area doesn’t mean you can set it and forget it.

As part of your overall SEO grand strategy, include a plan for ongoing SEO that will enable your organization to constantly grow, adapt, measure, learn, and grow some more.

Myth #2: “If you do these things, you’ll rank on page 1 in 3-6 months...”Maybe you’ve received one of these ads or phone calls, offering SEO services that guarantee a high ranking––fast. Lofty promises in a short time are a major red flag. No one, not even Google, can guarantee rankings.

Also, ranking for what? For which keywords? And which specific page of your website? Beware of vague qualifiers.

There are numerous factors involved in search engine ranking. If your organization is in a competitive niche, it can take years of consistent work to rank on page one of Google search results. A solid SEO strategy takes time and patience.

SEO is a long game, but it’s worth it because of the potential for eternal good. Knowing that millions of people are actively searching for spiritual answers online, yet not being led to Adventist websites and resources, how can we pass up this incredible opportunity?

Like any marketing approach, search engine optimization requires a long-term, flexible strategy that allows for measuring, testing, and adapting over time. Throughout this process, your organization can grow in authority and engagement, maintain relevance, and reach more people every day.

If you do receive a solicitation offering vague and unrealistic SEO results, we recommend politely declining. No one from Google will call your organization, and no one can promise specific results for an up-front, flat fee.

Remember that the principles of Authority, Credibility and Trustworthiness, coupled with quality content creation and careful monitoring of what your target audience wants, are the true foundational blocks that effective SEO is built upon. Anything that feels like a short-cut should make you hesitate, and anything that sounds too good to be true probably is.

Myth #3: “SEO is for the IT department. Let them handle it.” The internet is a media channel, just like radio or TV. However, this medium has surpassed all others in popularity, accessibility, and potential for outreach and mission work. A marketing and ministerial approach is needed to tap into its potential, not necessarily technical knowledge.

The foundation for effective online outreach follows the principles of advertising and marketing, but through a ministerial lens. Implementation of inspiring online content requires careful study of what works and doesn’t work and research to understand the needs of the consumer (or to the seeker). For an organization to use the internet for content marketing and outreach, you’ll need someone willing to spearhead corporate digital marketing and content creation with the goal of ministry. An IT department’s goal is to ensure that an organization’s computers and network are functioning efficiently, so the organization can accomplish its mission. Since many church organizations requires employees to wear many hats, it is very possible that the SEO strategy duties could fall to an IT employee, but it requires an additional set of communication and marketing skills than might be needed in traditional IT professional roles. Investment in a dedicated digital marketing strategist is wonderful, but in cases where personnel are called to do double (or triple!) duty, make sure they are empowered, encouraged, and equipped to prioritize SEO strategy.

While some organizations do have web developers categorized as IT, SEO also extends well beyond web development. Developers typically take their SEO cues from the content strategists and SEO specialists.

While this is a new “department” for our ministries to factor in, the outreach potential makes it necessary as the Church begins to prioritize technology for the gospel. Combining up-to-date marketing strategies and professionals with forward-thinking, media-savvy pastors and evangelists would magnifying our impact exponentially.

Myth #4: “Don’t worry about all the technical SEO stuff. Just create good content.”Creating good content is a must, but without intentional promotion or a strong SEO foundation, that good content and the effort it takes to create risks going to waste.

SEO specialists and web developers can help you set up analytics tools you’ll need throughout the SEO process. There are slight adjustments to coding or plugins that can make a significant difference to rankings, as well as fix undetected website errors that may be harming Google’s ability to crawl your site. These adjustments do require some technical knowledge to address, but the information and instructions you need can often be a mere Google search away.

Additionally, since SEO specialists’ first order of business is to keep up on the industry, if anything changes, they’ll be the first to know about it. It may be months until it gets into the radar of content creators working on their own, and by then, an unanticipated algorithm change could have already done some damage to your ranking. If your organization doesn’t have the budget for an SEO specialist, then it’s even more important to dedicate time to research and self-education in order to stay up to date on your SEO management.

SEO works best as a team effort, with multiple points of view working together to craft the best content, supported by the best systems and technical framework. So if you can’t hire a company or specialists, develop a team internally that can focus on different SEO needs.

Myth #5: “It’s all about using lots of keywords that get traffic.”Since keyword research is so foundational when developing an SEO strategy, some less-experienced businesses or individuals think they can make shortcuts by using repeated words. As mentioned before, “keyword stuffing” is now considered “black hat” SEO that attempts to cheat the system. Google will not prioritize keyword-stuffed content in its rankings, and your site may even get penalized, causing it to not show up in search results at all.

However, including keywords in natural moderation is still a valuable practice. Right now, Google focuses on thorough topic coverage, natural language, and searcher intent. Quality content writers and skilled SEO specialists can easily formulate a content strategy that leaves keyword-stuffing in the ashes.

Myth #6: “Our website is awesome. We don’t need to worry about all this extra SEO stuff.”You may have the sleekest, more vibrant website on the market, but if it’s not optimized to be found in searches, who’s going to see it? Unfortunately, this “if you build it, they will come” mentality has greatly limited our ability to get our messages of hope and wholeness in front of the very people seeking it online.

Displaying your website on your signage, print materials, and emails is an important part of a comprehensive communications and branding strategy. However, this practice will usually not result in traffic to your website beyond those who are already connected with your organization. In other words, your audience will not grow without an SEO strategy. Being strategic allows you to reach a variety of new target audiences who find your content relevant to their needs, interests, core values, and desires. It can even allow you to grow your volunteer and donor base. Simply put, SEO strategies allow you to share your website and message with the world. As entities of the Church, this is our great commission.

Myth #7: “Google changes its algorithms all the time. What’s the point in trying to keep up?”Daily—that’s how often Google fine-tunes its search algorithms, but don’t let that intimidate you. A strong foundation that follows best practices allows your organization to weather these changes and adapt more gradually. Organizations that monitor alternations daily are typically trying to game the system with shortcuts or downright “black hat” SEO techniques.

Google uses the daily influx of data it receives to update its methods and deepen its understanding of how people use its search engine. Google’s goal is to give us the search results we want, so that’s where their research and development will consistently focus. Think less foundational, more behavioral.

Myth #8: “We just need lots of clicks. Lots of traffic. The rest will fall into place.”Even if thousands of people click on your website from search results, Google pays close attention to how long they stay on your website. If they’re clicking the back button in the first few seconds they land on your page, that tells Google that your content was not relevant for that search query—you were not what they were looking for.

The focus is not just getting traffic but getting the right kind of traffic—people who are actually interested in your content already. Those people who are asking the questions your website is answering.

This is why content marketing and copywriting principles are integral to the SEO process. It’s less technical than it used to be, because Google found that its users were understandably fed up with clickbait-and-switch SEO approaches. People respond better to high-quality, relevant content instead of sensationalist headlines with keyword-stuffed content.

Myth #9: “We just found a company that will do all our SEO and content marketing for super cheap!”Beware. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If an SEO agency or freelancer’s selling point is that they’re fast and cheap, you might want to ask them some specific questions before moving forward.

“What strategies do you plan on using to boost my rankings?”

Note any over-reliance on backlinks or pay-per-click advertising, with little focus on content.

“How do you measure success?”

“Tell me about your past projects. What have you been able to accomplish for your clients?”

“How quickly can my site move to the top of Google’s search results?”

Note: This is a trick question. If they have any sort of definitive answer for this (other than that no one can guarantee a ranking position or a timeframe, especially if they haven’t reviewed your online presence yet), they might be using outdated tactics or preying on small businesses that can’t afford high-quality SEO professionals.

“How will you be demonstrating your monthly progress?”

“What are some ‘easy wins’ you see for our organization right now?”

“Tell us what kind of ROI we can expect.”

“What kind of upkeep will this require after the initial setup? Is that included in your pricing?”​

Depending on their answers, you will likely get a feel for their expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Don’t be afraid to shop around and get multiple bids, comparing not just prices but their answers to these questions.

Classically-trained writers may write articles, academic papers, journalistic pieces, or even books. Professors tend to encourage their students to describe things colorfully and thoroughly, to fill the page with rich wording, to emanate cleverness, and demonstrate elevated thinking.

While learning the rules and best practices of academic or journalistic writing creates a solid educational foundation, online writing requires a completely different style and approach to get the point across as quickly, clearly, and effectively as possible.

At first, writing for an online audience may feel too simple. After all, this type of writing is more casual and straight-forward. However, years of research proves its effectiveness in the digital space.

Most forms of online writing follow the fundamental principles of copywriting, which also bridge into the niche area of content writing. We’ll discuss the difference between the two later in this section.

The bottom line: The goal of writing online content is to connect with the reader, not elevate the author. It’s about meeting the reader where they are and giving them the information they seek, all while “desiring their good.” (Sound familiar? MH, 143)

Here are nine objectives to keep in mind when writing online content:

1) Remember the four primary purposes for online writing (content marketing).​Effective online writing should achieve four primary goals. This is especially true for content marketing, which requires a consistent production of content for distribution to attract, engage, and nurture an audience.

The four purposes are:

To inform your readers about a topic of interest to them, providing new information—or old information—with a unique twist, new application, or original perspective. Aimed at providing value, this type of content makes the reader feel like they’ve become more knowledgeable because of engaging with your content.

To educate your readers with answers to their questions or methods to solve their problems. This can demonstrate authority while also providing a service to your audience. Most educational articles will start with “How” or “How to” or “Learn.” You can also use videos, quizzes, courses, step-by-step guides, checklists, eBooks, white papers, handbooks, reports, etc. to provide your audience with educational content.

To entertain people who are searching for something lighthearted to pass the time or need a pick-me-up. This type of content can even inform or educate in a fun way, but without demanding too much brainpower. Entertaining content is often viewed while on a commute (when the reader is not the driver!), in waiting rooms, between classes, on breaks at work, while waiting for something to start, or on the couch, winding down after a long day. Here you’ll want to utilize forms of content such as quizzes, games, polls, short videos, memes, or humorous writing.

To inspire your readers to take an action such as changing a habit, sharing a post, buying your product, supporting your cause, or donating. Inspiring content targets emotions, stirring up feelings of agitation, whether positive (excited, emboldened) or negative (angry, shocked). However, this type of content must be used carefully. Emotional content performs poorly if the reader perceives it to be overblown or insincere. Always strive to be realistic and authentic. When possible, first test your content on a smaller audience before scaling up the reach of your articles or posts.

2) Write like you’re talking to a friend.​The best online writing is conversational, yet straightforward. Think about how you’d explain something new to someone you know, and write just like you would speak.

You wouldn’t waste time on flowery, poetic words, and you’d try to relate your concept to your friend’s life. You’d be up front about why this subject might be of interest and how it could benefit them in particular. The number one reason people share content online is because they feel it will improve the lives of others. As digital evangelists, our goal should be to create sharable content, and the Church should be the leader in creating content that benefits the lives of others.

In addition, you shouldn’t spend a lot of time on technical details or bells and whistles, unless you know your friend is interested in that. Instead, you’d focus on how this topic will affect them personally.

The great part of writing targeted online content is that, as long as you’re clear about your topic, your demographic will already be interested in what you're writing about! After all, they have searched for content similar to yours and decided your page is worth visiting.

Since your readers used a search engine, social media post, email message, or other website to get to your content, you don’t have to worry about convincing them that the topic itself is interesting. You have to convince them that you have information about their chosen topic that is better, deeper, more interesting, or more applicable than other websites. Ask yourself: what will the reader get from my content that they can’t get from someone else?

Getting to your point early—in the headline, subtitle, and opening paragraph—is key.

Think about that conversation with a friend. Have you ever been in a conversation where your counterpart struggled to get to the point?

They’re over-explaining the peripheral details, giving too many examples or metaphors, or trying to come up with language that softens the blow of an edgy idea or uncomfortable topic instead of outright saying what they mean.

You’d quickly realize how much time is being wasted and you’ll wish you had asked someone else to begin with!

That’s how an online reader feels when the content doesn’t get to the point.​They’ll click “back” and go to the next link in search results.

3) Boldly make your claim up front, then use the rest of your content to back it up.

If the point you’re making is a bit jarring, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Remember the idea of inspiring people by agitating emotional states:

Sometimes, when we think of advertising copy or sales copy, we think about those spammy e-mail subject lines that over-promise and over-guarantee, or we cringe at clickbait headlines for videos or blog posts. Then there are those overzealous sales letters that come in the mail to try to get you to subscribe to magazines or buy retirement plans.

Well, if sales copy puts a bad taste in your mouth, keep in mind that you’re thinking of bad sales copy.When copywriting is done conversationally, with the reader’s feelings, interests, and beliefs/core values in mind, it can be incredibly effective.

You outline the problem, describe the implications of this problem, and then give them the solution—your product, your method, your information, etc.

Benefits vs. featuresWhen describing how great your product/method/service/information is, don’t just list its features—describe the benefits it will provide to your reader, and why those benefits are in their best interest.

For example:“Buy our hibiscus tea!”Why?“Our blend has more antioxidants.”Ok...what does that mean?“Antioxidants decrease free radicals in your bloodstream.”Ok...what does that mean?“Antioxidants keep the cells in your body from breaking down!”Ok...but what does that mean for me?“Well, this tea has been shown to help lower high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association’s 2008 study.”That sounds pretty important. How does it taste?“Great! Especially with honey!”Well all right then—why didn’t you say so?

When we’re personally invested in the subject of our writing, we can get lost in the details. Remember that the readers aren’t there yet. They need to see a connection between what they’re searching for and what you have to offer.

For example:“You’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and it can be tough to give up some of the foods and beverages you’ve enjoyed for years—like coffee, black tea, and soda.”You speak the truth. It’s like you’ve been there, man!“But what if there was a soothing hot drink that could be just as tasty, AND help lower your blood pressure at the same time?”Is there? That would be so helpful right now! Tell me more!Superperfect Tea Company offers hibiscus tea. And, according to a 2008 study by the American Heart Association, it lowers blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults.I could use that! How does it taste?This ruby-red herbal tea has a slight tart flavor reminiscent of cranberries. Add a little honey, and it delivers a light, tangy “bite” that can pick you up in the afternoon or calm you down in the evening.Mmm. Can I try some?

Notice how the problem was outlined in the introduction, and the primary benefits immediately following. Meet the readers where they are, then tell how your amazing product is just what they need...and why.

Now if we frame this in the context of ministry, your product is your message, which may be hope, wholeness, health, lifestyle, truth that answers their deepest longing, answers to their physical/spiritual needs, sound advice, and more.

Calls-to-action (CTA)Once you’ve “sold” the product by connecting with your readers’ needs, it’s time to tell them to buy it! In the context of ministry, this may mean subscribing to your newsletter, registering for a seminar or health clinic, coming to an event, or joining a small group dedicated to a particular topic.

Don’t leave them hanging. They want to take action, and the more clear and straightforward the call, the more likely they are to follow through.

You may have already imagined a call-to-action following the last line of the hibiscus tea conversation:

“Yes! Get 20% off your first box of tea when you order now!” or“Yes—get your free sample sent to you now!”

Copywriting isn’t complete without a call-to-action. It doesn’t have to be overly clever or cute; it just needs to make sense. Here are the most common calls to action that appear online:

Order now!

Download here.

Watch this video.

Join today!

Donate to [insert organization name] & get a free travel mug!

Listen now!

Register now and get a free [insert item]!

Start your free trial today!

Secure your spot!

Get the full version!

Access exclusive information!

Sponsor a child today!

Book your appointment now!

Find out if you qualify!

5) Tell stories.

If these principles of writing for digital environments sound rather formulaic, that’s because they are. Effective writing is both a science and an art. Yes, wordsmithing is a creative process, but copywriting is a science backed by research. These elements of copywriting have been market-tested and are proven to work.

However, a great way to add creativity to the elements of this formula is through storytelling. People can’t help but be interested in stories. As humans, we want to know how things turn out!

These stories can be in the form of case studies, testimonials, or simple anecdotes that describe how a person—just like the reader—struggled with a specific problem. Maybe they tried several things until finally discovering what really worked.

Where can you find real stories? As a ministry, you might already have them. Think of the people you’ve served. Think of the events you’ve held. Think of the testimonies they have shared with you. How does their journey reflect a common need within your audience?

Going deeper, what analogies or metaphors can you draw from what you do? Can it be related to everyday life concerns? How does your ministry offer practical solutions?

While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different. Copywriting refers to the science, the persuasive writing formulas, the headlines, and the calls-to-action. Content writing could be considered the filler content that fleshes out the formulas for content marketing purposes: the stories, the details, the background information, the educational steps, or the valuable pieces of information you’re offering your reader.

In many ways these two elements of writing overlap and work together, and both occupy vital roles in the digital marketing process.

There are many increasingly specific definitions of these two terms across the internet, but there’s no need to get sidetracked by those at this point. The bottom line is that these styles and formulas work together to provide value to the reader, persuading them to stick around and eventually take action.

While seemingly small, these areas can make a big difference in how Google views your site and in convincing people to click on your webpages in search results.​Title TagsSometimes called the “SEO Title,” this is the title that appears in search engines and what is displayed at the top of a browser tab when a reader opens your page.

Be clear and straightforward about what your page content covers. If your page is about Bible studies, make sure those two words are in the first three words of the title. According to the SEO experts at Backlinko.com, Google “puts more weight” on words found at the beginning of title tags.

For example, say you want to rank for the keyword/phrase “couples Bible study” and you thought of two SEO Title choices:

Weekly Couples Bible Study - ThisTown Church

Looking for a Bible study that caters to new couples?

Google would rank the first one over the second one because it would deem it more relevant and topic-centric. The second one is not a bad headline (save it for your H1!) but Google favors SEO Titles that are more direct.

Editing your page title in HTML code looks like this:

<head> <title>THIS IS YOUR PAGE TITLE</title></head>

Otherwise, most content management platforms have a designated space to add or change a webpage’s title.

NOTE:If you already have significant traffic coming to your page with your current page title, even if it’s not optimized for the intended keyword, you might want to check your analytics before changing it. If visitors that come in through that page are staying on your site and clicking, downloading, buying, etc., you may want to consider keeping it the same, because you don’t want to lose that current traffic. If you notice that people are coming in through this page but then leaving the site, a title change could be highly beneficial.​

Meta Tags or Meta Descriptions This is the approximately 200-character teaser-like blurb that appears directly below the SEO title in search results. Often, this is what convinces the reader that your content is valuable.

Your meta description can be as long as you want, but Google will cut it off anywhere between 250-300 characters, depending on the amount of pixels those characters occupy.

While the recommendation used to be 160 characters, Google raised the number of permitted characters as of December 2017. It was changed again in the spring of 2018, then later adjusted to the current recommendation of 200 characters. In light of this apparent state of flux, aim to keep meta tags as short as possible while including the necessary information.

Using keywords in the meta description can give a small boost in search engine optimization, but the primary purpose of meta descriptions is to get the Googler to click on your site. This is where you expand on your page title, pitching why your website has what the seeker is looking for.

Make sure to connect the benefits of your product, service, or idea/cause with the needs and interests of those you hope will click on your link. List a key selling point or two, then describe what they’ll find on the page and why it matters to them.

Most content management platforms will have an area for you to enter the meta description for each page, or you can install a WordPress plugin like Yoast that allows you to edit the entire meta description.

To enter a meta description straight into the HTML, the <meta> element will always go inside the <head> element. It will look similar to:

NOTE: Every page should have its own unique meta description. Google notices if multiple pages have the same meta description, and many SEO auditing software programs will note redundant meta descriptions as an SEO error.

H1 Tags / Headers / HeadingsThis element of your page doesn’t typically show up in search engine results, but it is the first thing Googlers will see after clicking on the page. To make sure they stay there, devote attention to creating effective headlines. Make sure to specify what they’ll find there and why they will want to continue reading.

Include some keywords in your headers, pinpoint a benefit your content offers, and give brief hints at what the content covers.

For example;

Can’t decide which Bible translation to use? Learn the history and differences.or7 Ways to Simplify Complex Recipes for Easy, Healthy Dinners

In the example below, “Coping with Depression” is the H1 tag, demonstrating how a keyword should used in the first three words. The subtitle, “Tips for Overcoming Depression…” is designated as H2, as is the subhead “How do you deal with depression” lower on the page.

​You designate your text as H1 by adding the <h1> tag to the HTML code, or by selecting “Headline” or “H1” or a similar option from your content management platform in the “Style” section.

This will typically make the text larger and bolded, or possibly a different font, depending on the theme or template you're using.

Each page should have only one H1.

For subtitles or subheadings, which are excellent for breaking up long text blocks and making the whole post more skimmable, content managers can use H2 or H3 tags, which will typically appear smaller than H1-designated text. H2 and H3 tags do not have an SEO impact, but can enhance readability.

If you can’t get into your content management platform at the moment and want to check how a certain paragraph is designated, right click on the page and select “View Page Source” to view the HTML code. You can also highlight the area, right click, and select “Inspect.”

ALT (image) TagsThis code-level text makes images searchable by Google. Also known as an “alt attribute” or “alt description,” this HTML tag is applied to an image on your webpage. It doesn’t show up on the page, but googlebots pick it up and can use that to help determine the topic depth of your page.​While Google can determine several aspects about images, Google won’t always “see” the message it’s intended to illustrate or support. To understand the content of the image, Google relies on ALT tags to determine what the picture is and how well it relates to the topic of the page, which impacts your ranking.

Additionally, ALT tags provide the image information for:

Visually impaired Googlers using screen readers

Those who can’t see images in their email or browser (if images or HTML is disabled)​

When writing your ALT tags, construct a two-to-three-word description of the image and include a relevant keyword. For example, if your page is about sermon tips and you have a picture of a megaphone to illustrate a point, you might use the description, “megaphone; projecting voice for sermons.”

Don’t make it too long, and make sure not to “keyword stuff” the ALT tag, an old “black-hat” SEO practice that Google will not favor and possibly penalize. For example, for the same image described above on the “sermon tips” page, keyword stuffing might look like: “megaphone sermon tips project voice sermon audience sermon strategies public speaking presentation methods.”

Add your ALT text into your content management system, or into the HTML by editing the source code:

<img src=”bluemegaphone.jpg” alt=”ALT TEXT HERE” />

For example, in the picture on the previous page about coping with depression, this is how the ALT text appeared in the source code:

Using these seemingly-minor titles and tags can not only improve your SEO but also your user experience, enticing direct seekers to click on your site as they comb through search results to find relevant information.

In short:

Your title tag answers the “what” questions of seekers.

The meta description answers “why” they should click on it.

The H1 tag answers a combination of “what,” “why,” and “how” by introducing the topic and foreshadowing what the content will offer seekers or how it will help them.

ALT text helps Google know that images relate to the subject matter, indicating a more complete page, AND also helps visually impaired people understand what your page is about and what the images are, as they can be read by screen readers.

8) Know how to use evergreen vs. time-sensitive content.

There are two primary categories to consider when crafting your overall website content: time-sensitive content and evergreen content.

While, indeed, simple concepts, when it comes to SEO, content marketing, and user experience, there are strategies to consider in creating these two types of content.

Announcements, breaking news, special offers or promotions, seasonal content, and events are time-sensitive by nature. It’s good to have some time-sensitive information on your website–if you consistently keep it up to date. It demonstrates to site visitors that your organization is active and aware.

It is more frustrating to go to a website with out-of-date information than to go to a website with no time sensitive information at all. If an event from a couple months ago is still headlining, how can the site visitor trust that the rest of your information is current?

Evergreen content, however, refers to elements on your page without an expiration date. It’s static content that doesn’t change (much) over time. It doesn’t need to. It’s written to stay relevant and useful to your audience regardless of when they read it.

Special care should be taken when creating this copy so it will stay relevant for as long as possible with minimal upkeep.

When it comes to content marketing such as publishing content regularly on a blog, social media, email, etc., you must churn out new, helpful content to stay fresh and up-to-date. However, that doesn’t mean that each piece of content must be time-sensitive. You can cultivate them to be evergreen as well as timely.

To keep new content evergreen, the key is to stick with topics rather than dates.

While some of your social media or email content may contain time-sensitive information, they can link back to the an evergreen blog post that covers a topic thoroughly and that you periodically update as information changes.

To help your posts, pages, and articles stay evergreen in SERPs (search engine results pages), try removing the publication date from your post (unless it’s necessary). For the many seekers that check the date on webpages before clicking on them in search results, removing the date altogether can help present your content as timeless.

If you’re a church posting each week’s sermons as videos or podcasts, the first priority to keep these elements evergreen is to title each one as topical rather than with the date of the service (i.e., “Teaching Your Kids to Pray” vs. “Sermon 4-25-17 on Prayer”). Note that you can still show the date in the subtitle or descriptions, as members often search by date, but the title should be presented like a headline.

The topics covered in evergreen content must be “enduring topics,” such as common experiences of the human condition (job interview best practices, dealing with grief and loss), timeless skills (cake baking, how to change a tire) or opinion/discussion pieces (dogs vs. cats, should I exercise in the morning or evening).​Additional ideas for effective evergreen content:

Case studies (“How Pathfinders Made Me More Confident”)

Day-in-the-life posts or videos (“Shadowing a Pathfinder Director at Oshkosh”)

Interviews (“Joe Smith, Pathfinder Leader for 40 Years, Tells Us His Best Stories”)

Adapted livestreams (“Pathfinder Leadership Training—What Not to Do Skit”)

We’ve covered the different types of content that can be created to reach a variety of content consumers, as well as what makes content “evergreen,” or relevant past its publication date.

These principles can come in handy in the beginning stages of your SEO and content marketing strategy and when it comes to repurposing content. Instead of creating a different piece of content for each platform you publish to, you can repurpose one core content piece to work across a variety of channels. How can you make one blog post explode into ten different pieces of shareable content?

Take this short article for example:

You, a nationally-renowned sandwich artist, wrote a winning post for your sandwich-making fans.

Create an infographic, illustrating the step-by-step process of each fancy slicing technique.

Put together a slide deck for further details on each step of sandwich-slicing artistry.

Announce this fantastic post to your email list.

You could even create an exclusive autoresponder series (emails sent automatically to a mailing list based on specific rules/or subscriber behavior at defined intervals) that focuses even more in-depth on each of the five sandwich slicing methods.

Host a webinar about the five slicing strategies for aspiring sandwich artists, with Q&A afterward.

Turn that webinar into an evergreen video that will live on your YouTube or Vimeo channel.

Host a podcast, where you gather with a fellow sandwich aficionado or two and discuss these five slicing techniques.

Type up transcripts of the podcast discussion for those who prefer to read.

Turn your feedback into more shareable content. Are you getting lots of comments on your blog post, your social media channels, or your videos? Did anyone submit ideas or questions? Publish a follow-up post or video that showcases your followers’ pictures of their own slicing results, blooper videos, or new discoveries. Or create a quick video to share tips about part of the third slicing method that your virtual protégés are having a tough time with.

Repurposing content can allow a specific topic to be discussed online longer by spreading out the publication of each repurposed item.

Furthermore, the same topic repurposed into ten different forms (example above) can create a bigger splash as it makes its online debut. This strategy creates more options for Google to index, increasing your chances of showing up prominently in search results, and it also allows your content to show up in the search engine results for various social media platforms as well.

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Amy Prindle

​This blog post is part of a SEO series created through a collaborative partnership between the Social Media + Big Data department of the North American Division and the Center for Online Evangelism.

Whether you’re a conference, union, church, a school, a regional office, a service organization, or a retailer, you may be asking:

What is SEO, and what does it have to do with my ministry?

One way to understand SEO is to think of the internet as a traditional library, but bigger. All the world’s content is in this library. To find material on a certain topic, you don’t just wander through each aisle. This is a large, multi-story building with shelves from floor to ceiling. If you want to find what you need, and fast, you ask the librarian: Google.

You approach Google: “I need snow leopard information.” With that, Google brings you stacks of books. There are travel magazines about zoos that have snow leopards, kids’ picture books of snow leopards, decor magazines about snow-leopard-print area rugs, reference books on animal facts, a few encyclopedias, some National Geographics, and some support manuals for Apple OS X Snow Leopard.

You’re overwhelmed, so you say, “Actually, I just want to know where snow leopards live.”

Google whisks the previous stack away and returns with a smaller stack of literature. You pick the first book off top, quickly scan through, and find, “Ah—they live in the mountains of Central Asia.”

Done. And you only needed to look at the first few pages of the top book.

The goal of Google’s search engine is to give searchers exactly what they’re looking for. If it didn’t do that very well, people wouldn’t use their search engine.

Google acts as the Great Virtual Librarian, seeking content that is most relevant to what was typed in the search box. The more specific the search query, the more specific the search results.

On the other hand, if an author wants their book to make the librarian’s short list for a certain topic, they must demonstrate to the librarian that, for a certain topic, their book is the best match or contains the most reliable information.

An author might do this by designing a catchy cover. They might also make the book title contain words that are often used when people ask questions about this topic. They write a subtitle that further specifies what readers will learn, and they craft the back-cover copy as a teaser to draw the reader in. They also have someone write an author bio that positions that author as an expert in the field.

The author will also seek to get on bestseller lists, be quoted in various magazines, and even get recommended by other authors. Maybe this author will write forewords to other books and have other prolific authors write the foreword in theirs. The author will be posting ads, participating in interviews, doing readings, etc.

The author creates a credible “buzz” and elevates this book as relevant for its topic. The librarian sees all this and brings this book to all readers asking about this topic.

And if the library patrons willingly receive it, or even come back to read it again, all the more reason to keep bringing out this book for queries on this topic.

The author catered to the librarian by catering to what the readers were looking for.

Keep this analogy in mind as we go through this series. Each of those elements represent an online process involved in search engine optimization and, ultimately, the success of your web presence.

SEO is all about helping the right people in the “online mission field” find YOUR ministry. There are people out there that are searching for what is already your specialty—a cooking class, a good private school, a small friendly church, a big friendly church, a health seminar, an online Bible study, information about a perplexing Bible verse, how to deal with peer pressure, or how to find help and support when your friends and family aren’t helpful.

You may have heard the term “SEO” or “Search Engine Optimization” if you work with websites, content management, social media, or web development.

It’s a catch-all term to describe a collection of efforts to make your web presence more prominent in search results after someone types a related phrase into a search engine (most likely Google, but some use Bing, Yahoo, etc.)​Because it’s such a widely-applied and ever-evolving process, SEO does not have a set definition in a dictionary—it has several definitions! The most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that:

SEO is all about people—their behaviors and preferences—and not just search engines.

​It’s about your target audience’s needs, desires, and questions, and learning how you can best make the connection so they realize that, yes, you can provide what they need. You are worth their time.

Then they either buy from you, subscribe to your content, follow you on social media, join your cause, or come to your event or location (all possible calls-to-action—which will be studied later in this series!).​SEO combines some technical work with creative, strategic content work. Often, a complete SEO project involves an SEO specialist, a content strategist (copywriter), and a web developer. However, there are several SEO best practices you can implement yourself as a content manager, communication director, webmaster, or tech-savvy volunteer.

The process of SEO can have a big effect on your ministry’s online presence, whether your audience is local or global.

SEO is so big in the business world that there is an overabundance of tools and techniques being pushed by various “authorities” in the industry. It can be an overwhelming field to try to learn and keep up with, and it’s often difficult to know who to trust. Even experienced specialists in this industry still find it challenging.

​That’s why this guide was created to help you through SEO fundamentals, step-by-step, to make sure our Church’s ministries do not miss out on these potentially far-reaching benefits.

Most of the world spends hours online each day. Many people have become addicted to research, googling anything they have a question about. They look for maps and location information, check product reviews, read articles, watch videos, post comments, check in with old friends...they’ll even google questions close to their heart—questions they don’t feel comfortable asking close friends or family. Many people may google questions about topics such as spirituality, health, or information to help them through an inner struggle.

To be specific, 74,000 people google “Bible study” each month. That’s almost the entire population of Scranton, Pennsylvania.​The name “Jesus” is googled 1,500,000 times a month, and “Adventist” 18,100 times a month.

This is a huge ministry opportunity—if Adventist websites can rank high in the search results Google displays for these search terms. ​

Currently, however, that’s not the case. Other websites are catching this traffic.

This is a missed opportunity to introduce these seekers to the hope and help that the Adventist message can provide. To quote Forbes,

Websites without SEO are like brick-and-mortar businesses without doors.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is an ever-evolving set of strategies used in online marketing to help organizations reach more of their target audience. It is the process of utilizing a variety of techniques to positively impact a website’s visibility in unpaid search engine results. The higher a website ranks when a person googles search terms related to it, the more web traffic it receives. Most people do not scroll past the first page of search engine results. With this important fact in mind, I challenge you to google Seventh-day Adventist Church, Jesus, Bible prophecy, or the name of your church, ministry, organization, etc. What do you find? What kind of digital “curb appeal” did your search results reveal? Was it good or bad? Are people being led away by the competition or misinformation?

This resource will dive into what SEO strategies involve and how it relates to each of our ministries, from local to global. By being intentional and strategic, we can improve our digital curb appeal and encourage more people to encounter, and possibly embrace, our message.

Just as Seventh-day Adventists made strides in popular media throughout history—from print to radio to television—it’s now time to leverage the near limitless missionary opportunities the internet and digital technologies provide for us.

We can’t ignore this vast online audience (“the online mission field”) that already wants what we have to offer—an audience we may never otherwise meet!

SEO is both highly technical and an art form. Professionals in this arena are highly sought-after and highly compensated by many types of businesses that know their true profitability depends on their findability and reputation online. But we can, with some education, invest the time (and sometimes money) ourselves to implement these valuable techniques. This is your chance to learn insider information and use it for the gospel—ultimately aiding the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20).

As with all things digital, the technology and tricks-of-the-trade will continually change, but the underlying philosophy will remain largely the same. With careful, prayerful guidance, let us begin.

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist for the North American Division. ​​​​

​For the first ten years of my career I had the opportunity to develop my digital skillsets in the secular world with the hopes that someday these skills could be used to serve God more directly. I am pleased to say that there is a tide-shift happening now in the Seventh-day Adventist Church at multiple levels; we are collectively waking up to the untapped potential of the digital mission field.

After two years of working for the North American Division, I have realized that there is potential for a beautiful marriage between traditional means of evangelism and digital communications. These new technologies are not meant to entirely replace the old methods, but serve to magnify and increase the scale of our efforts in a way that was not thought possible a few decades ago.

I spend a lot of time with seasoned evangelists who share with me their wisdom gained in the physical mission field. Many of their proven principles for effective evangelism have direct application in the digital space. To truly move forward with our mission, mentorship and education must go in two directions. Not only can the younger generations teach the older generation about technology and demonstrate how it can be used to advance our cause, but the younger, digitally-focused generations can learn much from the giants of traditional evangelism. Instead of getting frustrated by our different perspectives, we must communicate more effectively with each other to understand our common ground. Like a giant ship set in its regular route, it takes time to turn, and it takes all crew members working together.​The methods by which we minister to people and share the gospel are becoming more complex, but human nature, needs, and behavior largely stays the same. One “analog” idea that I have translated to the digital space is the idea of “curb appeal.” Long before the internet and 360° video, real-estate agents and pastors focused their attention on finding ways to optimize something called “curb appeal.” If someone was interested in buying a house, they most likely would drive by it before calling the agent to request a walk-through. For churches, the behavior of prospective visitors was similar. Pastors and ministry leaders sought to make their church inviting for potential visitors from the outside. This is still important today, but now we have the added need for “digital curb appeal.”

76% of mobile shoppers have changed their mind about which retailer or brand to buy from after searching on Google (Google Data).

Nearly half (46%) of people say a website’s design is their number one criterion for determining the credibility of an organization (Hubspot).

46% of church attendees said that a church’s website was important in picking a church to visit (Network.crcna.org).

33% of people said that the internet was initially where they learned about their church (Network.crcna.org).

In 2015 Facebook influenced 52% of consumers’ online and offline purchases, up from 36% in 2014 (The Drum).

It’s clear that an organization’s digital presence affects behavior. What do people find when they Google your church or find you on social media platforms? Is the content up-to-date? Is new visitor information easy to find? Are there pictures, testimonies, and stories that reflect your church community and are inviting to others? Is it clear what services and opportunities your church provides?

According to a LifeWay Research survey, while “78% of churches have a website, only 30-40% of churches are using their websites for anything other than an electronic bulletin board! And about 42% hardly keep their websites up to date?!” The same is true with social media. Are you posting regularly and is all the essential information current? For many, your digital presence will be their first introduction to your church and possibly, the faith as a whole. Many people will find your website long before they physically visit a place of worship. A recent study by Grey Matter Research found that, “in the last 12 months, over 17 million American adults who don’t regular attend worship services visited the website of a local church or place of worship.”

Your church’s website and social media are your biggest digital marketing tools, and it’s where first impressions are made. If your congregation is connected to the corporate church account on social media and engaged, it’s likely others are seeing their interactions and could be negatively or positively drawn to your church based on the kind of content posted. Tell your story through your website and social media. Show a community that others want to join. Your website is a means of communicating, in general terms, everything that your church offers to a prospective visitor. It's your "curb appeal." Your social media can further demonstrate the type of community they will experience and spiritual messages they will receive.

In addition, “local search habits are strongly connected to mobile search habits, as 76% of people who search for an organization locally, visit within a day” (Google Data). “In 2017, worldwide mobile traffic accounted for 52.6% of all internet traffic” (Search Engine Land). Therefore, making your website mobile friendly is vital, especially since Google prioritizes mobile-friendly content in the search algorithm.

I recommend that you regularly conduct an audit of your website and social media to make sure:

Your website design is up to date and mobile friendly. You don’t need technical skills or a lot of money to have a professional, high-quality looking website. Aim for a simple look that shows an organized and logical layout. Take advantage of drag and drop platforms like Wix.com (my current favorite) that offer ongoing software and design updates as well as easy-to-edit responsive (mobile-friendly) templates—all for an annual hosting fee as low as $100. If you have a staff member with more technical expertise and want to be NAD branding compliant, the website branding pattern system ALPS, is set up to be adopted in a WordPress site. Click here for more info.

Make sure essential information is accurate, up-to-date, and easy to find. Remember, empathy first. Put yourself in a prospective visitor’s place and seek to understand their needs and/or experience. Location, directions, and worship times should be visible on your homepage. Have a “Plan Your Visit” section with “What to Expect” FAQs. Not knowing what to expect is a barrier to entry for many people. This information can be included on both your website and Facebook. Links to this information can be listed on other social media platforms.

Tell your story in the “About” section and share what you believe. Do your images on the website and social media reflect your congregation and culture? Do your listed core values and beliefs match what they will experience in person? To really connect with people, we must connect with their core values and needs. Write in a conversational and friendly tone to make your audience feel informed and valued. Make sure you communicate clearly to prospective visitors, and most importantly, reflect the love of Christ always. Much of this content can be “evergreen” with little need for regular updates.

Showcase opportunities. Are all your upcoming events, ministries, and youth activities listed? If you don’t have the staffing for regular updates, present your opportunities in general terms and ask them to join your email list and/or like your Facebook page for event notices. Generally, church members do not check their own website, so shape your content around the needs of a visitor. Again, if you don’t have the resources for weekly website updates, present the material in a way that is “evergreen” with contact information on how a potential visitor can learn more. Once they step in the door, be sure to have a welcoming strategy to help them build relationships and get plugged into church life.

Branding is the process of revealing the most complete picture of an organization to its audience through perception, experience, and essence. Brands are communicated, not just created. A brand is based entirely on a customer’s, not the developer’s, experience. Your digital presence is an extension of your church brand and voice into the online world. Your brand is how your church is perceived. ​Strong digital brands create connection and take a comprehensive approach to the member experience. Today, that experience often begins online. Your digital presence should make them want to experience your faith/mission in person. Then, when they come for that onsite experience, it should be a continuation of the positive relationship and trust you’ve built with them online.